Sheep

Sheep were among the most important domestic animals of the ancient biblical world, central to the pastoral economy of the patriarchs and throughout Israelite life. They provided wool for clothing, milk for food, and were the principal animals of the sacrificial system. Several breeds are attested in ancient Palestine, including the broad-tailed sheep (Ovis laticaudata) whose fat tail was specified in the peace offerings (Leviticus 3:9). The wealth of patriarchs like Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Job was measured partly in their flocks.

In Scripture the sheep carries profound theological symbolism. Israel is repeatedly described as God's flock (Psalm 23; Psalm 100:3; Isaiah 40:11; Ezekiel 34), and the faithless leaders of Israel are condemned as negligent or predatory shepherds (Ezekiel 34:2–10; Jeremiah 23:1–4). Jesus applied this imagery most fully in declaring himself the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep (John 10:11–18), fulfilling Ezekiel's promise that God himself would shepherd his scattered flock. The image of straying sheep (Isaiah 53:6; Luke 15:4–7) and of sheep before the shearers (Isaiah 53:7) runs through the Passion narratives.